National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has distanced itself from the rumoured Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, APDA.
Spokesman of the committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, dismissed a report that the caretaker committee was floating the party as “option B,” following the lingering leadership crisis in the party.
Adeyeye said in an interview that “It is totally false. We don’t have anything to do with it. There is nothing like that.”
Recall that the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee has been in a lingering tussle with the National Chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, over the leadership of the PDP since May 2016.
However, Senator Sheriff-led faction of the party has described members who are purportedly behind APDA, as “military apologists lacking genuine democratic credentials.”
It said this in reaction to alleged plans by the caretaker committee to form a new party.
According to a statement issued by the acting National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Bernard Mikko, the Sheriff-led faction said PDP stalwarts, who want to leave the party for a new platform are those who believe democratic norms are served only when they are in charge.
“Those parading themselves as PDP stalwarts or stakeholders itching to form new political associations are, in fact, military apologists and nomadic political activists with no genuine political credentials, looking for a political window to position themselves for economic settlement or advantage.
“An inquiry into the background of these people will show they are the same people that superintended over the affairs of the PDP with impunity for over a decade and are responsible for the problems which they now claim to have a cure.”
“If these dissidents are confused, we appeal to our members not to pay any meaningful attention to them or get confused. The tap root of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party, is at the grassroots, and not in the hotel lobbies in the metropolis.
“These dissidents cannot, in one breath pursue a course of litigation at the apex court and, also, fail to align themselves with basic democratic principles by trying to use loud voice to cover up weak points to justify their actions. They are frustrated because they have failed to manipulate the political process to generate their desired selfish result or advantage,” Mikko said.
